Uruguayans on Wednesday defended Luis Suarez, icon of their hopes to win a third World Cup, as the striker faced a mounting storm over accusations that he bit an opponent.

On social networks and in the streets, the volatile 27-year-old's compatriots played down the incident with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini -- though reactions were also tinged with regret, shame, anger and fear over the fallout from any FIFA punishment on the national team.

Suarez bit Chiellini in Uruguay's 1-0 victory over Italy on Tuesday that took the country into the final 16. FIFA is now investigating the incident.

"It wasn't a bite, it was a headbutt," supporter Noelia Tabarez told AFP. "And we can only imagine what the other guy must have said to provoke him. They're always testing Suarez to see how he'll react."

She was one of many to question the events in the Brazilian city of Natal.

"He hits him with his tooth but he doesn't bite him. The bite isn't clear. And he came away with a black eye. If you look at the whole thing under a magnifying glass... these things have to stay on the pitch," said a caller to Radio Sport.

"Isn't there a single image from the other side? I don't think that looking at it from the back we can be so sure of anything," said Facebook user Laura, 40.

Even among armchair referees who accepted Suarez had bitten Chiellini, there was widespread feeling that the national star is being persecuted.

"They look for the slightest excuse to jump on him like this," Esteban da Silva told AFP.

"He's not going to stop being a hero because of one mistake," said Santiago Campomar, 24.

Alcides Ghiggia, who scored Uruguay's World Cup-winning goal in Rio in the 1950 trophy match, meanwhile said Suarez clearly needed help.

"This boy's clearly not right in the head. That's just not something you do on the pitch,' said Ghiggia.

"He already did it before in England and now he's done it again. It's abnormal. It's a football match -- not a war or a fight.'

As Suarez's Facebook profile filled with dozens of messages in English and Italian branding him a "cannibal," other users rallied behind him.

"Be strong Luis. It's clear they're persecuting you," said user Sandra. "You're Uruguayan. We're like a stone in the shoe. We bother people. We're a small country but our people are big. This team is a blessing and God be with you. Win or lose we are with you."

Another user, Nestor, chimed in: "If the supposed bite had been by any other player, nobody would have spent even a second on it. The problem is that it's Suarez."

Others attacked the Italian team and the British press.

Newspaper El Observador said that "the crazy Suarez is back," but stood up for the Liverpool star.

"This episode was all it took for the British media to eat up Luisito again," it said.

Some Uruguayans hunted down examples of unpunished football transgressions in the past, others scrutinized Chiellini's record for any evidence of misconduct.

Website montevideo.com published a 2012 photo of Chiellini that purportedly showed the Italian defender "has had this scar for years."

afp